Laura Neal
19/10/2017
Question Pair No. 2:

> (A) Select one example to outline the key concepts of the interactive narrative genre
> (B) Does the interactive narrative still have a role to play in video games today?
Give exemplary examples.
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Although it is not my area of expertise, I cannot deny that I have always been very interested by the concept of the ‘interactive narrative’ game and its history whether the outcome of a story depends either wholly or partially on a player’s choices and interactions within given scenarios. In fact I have, almost subconsciously, created several small pieces of artwork based around presenting a player with a choice just to see their reaction.
Today I aim to examine how much of a role the interactive narrative still has in video games and will be discussing one main game as a focal point and a small range of games I am familiar with that fall within this category. The aforementioned focus game will be ‘Façade‘ (2005) which I have chosen to outline the key concepts of the interactive narrative genre.
A few games well worth mentioning within this genre are ‘Heavy Rain‘, (2010) ‘The Stanley Parable‘ (2013) and ‘L.A Noire‘ (2011) When I mentioned briefly about the outcome of a story depending either wholly or partially on a player’s choices, I was entertaining the idea that even a small integration of an interactive narrative can be significant. ‘Fable II‘ is a good example. Within the story the player is, at pivotal moments, presented with choices that, when responded to, directly reflect upon the players (or ‘Hero’s’) character. These choices can even go as far as to change gameplay. For instance, if the player decides not to defend a specific region from evil, that region can become tainted and lifeless. Cutscenes for both options on almost every choice emphasise that the game is truly shaped by the player’s interactions.

‘Façade‘ is, along with ‘The Stanley Parable‘, one of the best examples of an interactive narrative due to its heavy dependency on the player’s involvement. However, I have found that both games seem more like an ‘experiment’ into human nature, the latter being more successful with this. ‘Façade‘ can also be viewed as a ‘breakthrough’ game due to its attempt to use of Artificial Intelligence in 2005.
The general story of ‘Façade‘ is that you are a friend of ‘Grace’ and ‘Trip’ and have been invited to stay at their flat for a small cocktail party. However, tension between the two is obvious even before initiating gameplay, as you can hear them feuding through the apartment door. The player’s interaction comes in the form of being able to type whatever text you desire directly into the game, meaning you can ‘talk’ to the couple.
You, as the player, are then given the choice to either convince them to stay together or make the situation worse. However, the objective is not clear. What is known is that there are multiple endings caused by typing certain pieces of text towards Grace and Trip.
In conclusion, I believe that the interactive narrative genre is still evolving in video games. ‘Façade‘ was an early attempt to involve the player more than ever when it came to storytelling.